10 Star Wars Mistakes You Missed PREQUEL EDITION

It’s safe to say that there’s been enough criticism and outright hate for the Star Wars prequel trilogy to last a lifetime. But outside of the plot, the characters, and the changes made to the larger Star Wars mythology, it’s just as much fun to spot the mistakes, errors, or blown takes that pop up in any blockbuster movie. The fact that these made it into the galaxy far, far away just makes them that much more memorable.

An Observant Queen

Have you ever seen a movie scene so many times, you can recite the lines along with the characters? Well, it happens to actors, too – especially younger ones who aren’t used to hearing their castmates repeat themselves for multiple takes. In The Phantom Menace, Natalie Portman apparently couldn’t help herself, and had to mimic her costar Liam Neeson introducing himself to Anakin’s mother as “Qui-Gon Jinn,” mouthing the words right along with him. Good luck ever missing that again.

The Wig is Strong With Him

It’s a reality of the movie business that re-shoots are almost always needed for large scale movies. But when the actors have already gone on to change their appearance or haircut for another role, things can get a bit more interesting. Star Wars buffs can play an hours long game of spotting Ewan McGregor’s wig in Episode 1 (and beyond), which makes some unforgettable appearances – hard to miss since it’s not even close to the actual hairstyle the young Obi-Wan Kenobi sports throughout the rest of the movie.

Double Trouble

When a film includes dozens of principal actors, and is filmed outside – far, far outside – of Hollywood, directors are going to get plenty of use out of their doubles and stand-ins (actors who look enough like the stars to get by in background shots). But when the Jedi Council arrives on Naboo once the Trade Federation has been defeated, it’s clear Samuel L. Jackson couldn’t make an appearance as Mace Windu. That can be understood, but the crew probably should have just left his character out of the scene entirely, instead of marching his double through the frame alongside his alien colleagues.

Royal Fashion

The dresses and headpieces of Queen Amidala stole the show in Episode 1, including one dress decorated with glowing orange orbs (as if fabric wasn’t enough). Don’t spend too much time wondering how the effects team got the orbs to actually light up, though: take a look in the background and you’ll notice the black power cord clearly running to the dress from across the stone floor. How the effects team couldn’t find time to paint out that mistake while handling the mammoth CG sets and action is anyone’s guess.

Watch Your Head

Characters knocking their heads on doors is kind of a running joke in the Star Wars series, after a stormtrooper started the tradition in A New Hope, and Jango Fett kept it alive in Attack of the Clones. But one other door mishap isn’t quite as much fun to watch happen. The effects team put a lot of time into creating a complicated CG door leading into a droid factory on Geonosis in Episode 2, asking the actors to pretend they were ducking under it to sell the effect. Anakin (Hayden Christensen) didn’t get the message, passing his head right through it and ruining the effect.

Saber Issues

There’s no weapon in the galaxy like a lightsaber; a beam of energy that can cut through… well, almost anything. The prop swords used by the actors aren’t quite as technically impressive. Pay close attention to Anakin’s swordfighting skills in that same Geonosian factory, and you’ll catch a glimpse of actor Hayden Christensen snagging his sword on his Jedi robe’s hood. The actor tries valiantly to remove it, all of which is captured before the camera cuts away, showing the Jedi’s blade isn’t always an elegant weapon.

Not-So-Special Effects

George Lucas’ decision to use almost no practical sets for the more extravagant buildings in the prequel trilogy led to some… questionable effects and disconnect for audiences, but one artifical set stands out above all others. When Anakin is being won over by Chancellor Palpatine in Attack of The Clones, it’s clear that the set they’re walking through is a digital creation. But when the camera pans to the door, not only is the exit a painfully – painfully – fake painting, but the image itself actually distorts and stretches as the camera shifts. So even the best in the business have shots they’re not proud of, it seems.

A Psychic Senator?

When Anakin, Obi-Wan and Padme are chasing down Count Dooku during Episode 2‘s final act, an explosion sends the Senator overboard leaving the two Jedi to pursue the Sith lord to his secret hangar. The fight that follows doesn’t go their way, with Kenobi taking some hits and Anakin losing his arm. But Padme has apparently been watching the fight along with the audience, since she tells the clone troopers who come to rescue her that “we need to get to that hangar” – a hangar and battle that she has no actual way of knowing anything about. Was she a Jedi this whole time?

Gravity?

Artificial gravity in spaceships can be a tricky thing for science fiction movies, which is why most films commit to going either full zero-gee, or simulated gravity that fans will try not to even notice. But in Revenge of the Sith‘s opening sequence, a Separatist ship is sent into freefall, down towards a planet’s surface, sending the characters either sliding downward toward its plummeting nose… or running along a now-horizontal elevator shaft. But neither makes sense. If the ship has no artificial gravity and is only affected by the planet’s pull, then freefall is freefall – the characters should be effectively weightless. On top of that, the artificial gravity being turned to match the falling ship’s momentum means it would be useless. We guess that’s why these movies are fantasy, not science fiction.

Liquid Hot Magma

In the hundreds of effects and CG shots in the prequel films, a lot, and we mean a lot of small mistakes slipped through. But one is guaranteed to annoy any fan of volcano action films, or geology in general. When Anakin has been de-limbed, burned and left for dead on the planet Mustafar, a shuttle from the Emperor comes to rescue him. Pay attention to its shadow: when you realize it’s somehow darkening the glowing lava flowing beneath it, as if it’s lit by the sun, not itself, you’ll get a clear idea of how much time was (or wasn’t) spent making these shots scientifically sound.

Conclusion

Those are the most entertaining mistakes, errors and goofs we’ve found in the Star Wars prequels, but are there any we missed? Be sure to name them in the comments, and subscribe to our channel for more videos like this one!